Did I really need to go to ER for this?!?

Oct 6, 2012 5:24 AM

I cut off a small chunk of the pad on my middle finger while coring an apple. Well, cut off may not be right because it reattached quickly. After I slowed the bleed to a minimum, I called my Doc and they we flabbergasted that I hadn't gone to the ER yet. So, I went.
And got superglued, steri-stripped, tetanus shotted, and sent on my merry way.
I'm thinking I just wasted a big copay for peace of mind. Thoughts?

Yes TC. Yes, you should have gone to the ER for that, or at least Urgent Care as, @kamikazeken said. You would have wound up in the ER later, most likely because it would have gotten infected and it would be much much worse than it is now.

I hurt myself all the time and don't go to the doctor. The only time I remember going to the emergency room was when I broke my back and had to take an ambulance. Other than that, I clean out the cuts myself and bandage them up myself.

The latest event happened in July when my bird bit me because she didn't want me to install her flight suit. My finger is still there, no infections, no residual scars, nothing.

Not saying this is the correct procedure but, for me, I only go when absolutely necessary.

That one can go both ways. It's good that you got a Tetanus shot, especially if you were due for one anyway, because they also protect from Pertussis (whooping cough - making a comeback).

A few months ago, I sliced the backside of my finger open (taking the pedal off a bike, the wrench slipped and I punched the gears). Blood was running out of my finger. I washed it out, poured some iodine on it, bandaged it up, and went to work. Afterward, my wife made me paranoid about Tetanus and Staph, so I went in to the doctor. He used SteriStrips on the cut, gave me a Tetanus shot, and I was on my way.

It turned out that the cut was a lot deeper than I thought. I have a funny purple scar on the back of my finger now.

@lumpthar: How long can you wait from the time you get cut until you need to get the tetnis shot? Could you schedule a regular appointment with your primary care physician or is it emergency room worthy?

I can't see from the picture how much of your finger was cut off. If it was small enough that you wouldn't mind if that part fell off because it didn't heal then you could wait a day or two for the tetanus. Your hands are an important instrument for everyday use so is that a part you want to risk? It would be a pain to have delayed healing because you use your hands so much, also it could affect your ability to feel things since the fingerpad is the most sensitive if you want to feel texture. If you really want to know if you wasted your money, ask the ER doc what would have been the consequences if you had not come.

Whether it was necessary or not to go to the ER all depends on your own knowledge of medical care. If you know how to clean the wound thoroughly, apply the correct ointment(s), and bandage it yourself, then you would have been fine. (This is also assuming you didn't go all the way to the bone with the cut. If you see bone GO TO THE DOCTOR/ER IMMEDIATELY) If you were not up to date on your Tetanus shot/booster then you should get that from your doctor, and I'm sure they'd gladly ($$) double check your finger at the same time.

If that happened to me (and it did) I wouldn't go, but that's just my decision. I went through the same situation as you did but the cut was on the side of my middle finger right below the first joint bone. The flap of skin was nearly cut clean off if the edge of my fingernail didn't "soften" the blow. I just wrapped it up and continued wrapping it till it stop bleeding. Although it was annoying for the next few days since I didn't want to get it wet, it eventually healed and the scar is almost gone. However, the lil incident turned into a somewhat callus. My finger is fine and is good as new.

The various times I went to the hospital was when I split the back of my ears.. had to get 7 stitches and another time when I dislocated my right knee.

by the way, you CAN crazy-glue wounds shut yourself, you know... only costs a couple of bucks! irrigate/flush with saline or clean water, s\apply some antibiotic like bacitracin, and glue shut. There are probably even youtube videos showing how to do it.

I've even used duct tape on cuts that probably should have had 4-5 stitches, too. Scars are manly.

@cengland0: around here (washington) you can go to most any place that has a pharmacy and get a TDAP (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) vaccination. it might be similar wherever you are. much more convenient and a WHOLE lot cheaper.

@kamikazeken: It's not QUITE crazyglue that gets used, though it's very similar. Still, you can get the stuff yourself (being paranoid, I have some...) and as long as you know how to clean the wound, etc.. oftentimes for things of this scale I'd think that'd be sufficient. It certainly has been for me.

That said, it can be BAD to get TDAP combo-shots too often, which is what would have been given if it included pertussis coverage.

(Side note: I have a similar wound from an avocado-related injury from back in 2001. It healed nicely but left an interesting line on my fingerprint.)

As for "really need to go to the ER" - if you don't go often, then I think you shouldn't beat yourself up. Your doctor told you to go, and sometimes, it's worth spending money to be safe rather than sorry.

I had a Pyrex dish explode in my hands (yes really, and no, temp change wasn't involved: it had been soaking overnight and when I pulled it out to wash it, it just exploded), which resulted in dozens of little pieces of safety-type glass embedding themselves in my hands. The largest one was similar in size to what you did (I think); after 12 hours, it was still bleeding. I called a friend who is a dentist; he came over and steri-stripped it, but it was too late to glue it. It bled on and off for another 12 hours and healed very slowly. Because it was on the pad of my right index finger, I couldn't type or hold a pencil for a week - and my job involves both! IMHO, I suspect that having it treated will help it heal faster, which is particularly important if you're right-handed.

I think you did the right thing by going to the ER. Your doctor recommended it so...it's best. As others have said, better safe, sewn & immunized, than sorry later.

I cut my hand between the pointer finger & thumb. Opened a pop-top kind of canned cat food the wrong way. Pulled the lid toward my left hand which was holding the can. Dumb. Had opened 100's of cans; silly me. :-\

I knew it was a very bad cut. Husband was there; heard me yell. I grabbed a towel & held my hand. He said, "How bad?" Me, "Very." No Emergency Care nearby. Went to the ER. If I recall, I had 8 stitches. It was deep. Couldn't figure out why the ER people kept asking me over & over again how it happened. Same answer every time. They told my husband to leave while they stitched it up. I emphatically insisted he stay w/me. Later figured out they were checking to see if it was abuse. Guess they thought I had grabbed a knife that he threatened me with.

In my case, 99% of the time hospitals are a HUGE waste of money, that being said I honestly can't remember the last time I went to the hospital for myself. The last time I was "told" by my doctor to goto the hospital, I asked him what they charge per my insurance and of course he didn't know, so i called and was surprised it was going to be like $200. I went back into his office and "persuaded" (traded a 18 hole voucher at the country club) for him to cut out the middleman, and to my amazement he wrote me the prescription.

@cengland0: Yep, parrot bites can be bad with strong jaws and that razor sharp beak. Any owner or vet better be prepared to deal with bites, they are inevitable. And they are distinctive. Other owners recognize you when they see the scars. >grin<

I am accident prone and have cut the tips off of two fingers in (I assume) a similar manner at different times.

The first time I just patched myself up, changed bandages often, and let it heal on its own. The second time I went to the ER, got two stitches, and the tetanus shot. The second injury healed quite a bit faster than the one that I didn't see a doctor for.

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